Oversight of United States covert operations

Under presidential directive NSC 5412/1, issued March 12, 1955, oversight of covert operations became the responsibility of the Planning Coordination Group.[1]

NSC 5412/2 Special Group

Under presidential directive NSC 5412/2, issued December 28, 1955, responsibility for oversight of covert operations transferred to a National Security Council secret subcommittee with members representing the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the President. The group was identified as the NSC 5412/2 Special Group, or simply as the Special Group.

The Committee was a successor to earlier covert oversight and planning groups, variously known as the Special Group 10/2, 5412 Panel, NSC 5412/2 Special Group, Special Group (until 1964), 303 Committee (to 1969), existing since 1954 at the latest.

NSC Special Coordination Committee

The following year, on May 13, 1977 President Jimmy Carter issued Executive Order 11985 which updated the previous order such that the Operations Advisory Group thereafter would be known as the NSC Special Coordination Committee[5]

National Security Planning Group

Under the Reagan administration, the Special Coordination Committee was replaced by the National Security Planning Group which included the Vice-President, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Assistant for National Security Affairs, and the Director of the CIA.[6]